Vortex generator



Nov. 10, 1970 5. ARSHAL VORTEX GENERATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18, 1969 FIG. 3

FIG.

INVENTOR: 52 M NOV. 10, 1970 v s 3,539,273

VORTEX GENERATOR Filed March 18, 1969 Z'Sheets-Sheet 2 7 FIG. 4

BOUNDARY SURFACE ClRCUI-ATING FLOW voRTEx INDUCED FLOW O Q 7 GROUND SURFACE 5 INVENTdR:

United States Patent 3,539,273 VORTEX GENERATOR George Arshal, 4422 Venice Way, San Jose, Calif. 95129 Filed Mar. 18, 1969, Ser. No. 808,091 Int. Cl. B64c 23/08 U.S. Cl. 416-4 10 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE This invention is a means of circulating fluid in confinement against an open boundary surface. As such, it serves the same purposes as the vortex generator described in US. Pat. 3,295,608. The present invention improves on the referenced invention in its ability to produce vortex systems of greater energy output.

FIG. 1 illustrates a representative embodiment of the vortex generator. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate other side view profiles that can be adopted for the axial enclosure of the vortex generator. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a layout of vortex generators in application to a ground efl'ect machine.

The layout is associated with an open boundary surface for confining the circulations produced by the vortex generators.

In FIG. 1, the vortex generator is shown in a series of circular bands 1, internal vanes 2, and a drive shaft 3. These elements are all attached or joined together. Bearings 4 and supports 5 mount the vortex generator for rotation about its axis. A motor rotates the vortex generator through the drive shaft 3.

The bands are flared to provide annular side ports between one another. They are shown with a straight flare in FIG. 1, but they may be formed otherwise, with a curved flare or a compound flare. The side ports are designed so that the interior fluid can not thrust out as radial flow and goes into rotation. The side ports serve to release circulating fluid into the regions surrounding the vortex generator.

The release of fluid by the vortex generator is accompanied by an inflow of fluid through the open ends. However, the flow through the vortex generator is sufficiently restrained to maintain the vortex in its required state of low pressure. This is understood by FIG. 4.

In FIG. 4, of which FIG. 5 is a sectional view, the vortex generators 6 are interspaced end to end and their surrounding fluid circulations are confined by a surface barrier 7. The vortex systems are terminated by end boundary walls 8. The fluid flow conditions are maintained substantially concentric around either line of vortex generators. However, the fluid circulations are more energetic in regions about the body of each vortex generator than they are about the interspaces. The higher energy fluid can not be wholly contained and some of it passes out of the circulating field through the opening at the surface barrier. This fluid is replaced by an inflow of ambient fluid through the same opening. The inflow is drawn where the barrier opening lies abreast of the interspaces between the vortex generators, which accounts for the weakening of the circulating field in the regions. The weakened circulating field yields fluid flow to the vortex generators, where the fluid is energized. The flows in and out of the circulating field and in and out of the vortex generators are necessarily consistent.

A large measure of control can be exerted over the rate of the flow in and out of the vortex system, apart from factors such as the speed and the size of the vortex generators. The vortex generator of FIG. 1 releases energized fluid circulation through its open ends as well as through its side ports. Much of this end outflow shifts over into the ice side body region of the vortex generator, but some of it stays to strengthen the circulating field around the end regions. As these regions of the circulating field are strengthened, the pressure gradients of the vortex system are utilized more in sustaining the circulations than in drawing flow into the vortex generators. FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate ways of altering this effect.

In FIG. 2, the bands forming the axial enclosure of the vortex generator increase in diameter from the midsection of the vortex generator outward. At the same time, the side ports are diminished. These modifications put relatively more of the circulating field energy about the ends of the vortex generator. As a result, the inflow and the power output of the vortex generator are both reduced. However, a vortex generator on the profile of FIG 2 is calculated to provide more output than a vortex generator having no side ports at all.

The power output of the vortex generator is increased by the profile of FIG 3. The reverse flare of the outer bands keeps the outflow of the vortex generator highly dissociated from the inflow, which increases the inflow. The reduced size of the inlets does not have a throttling effect since the inflow is drawn to the central interior of the vortex generator in any case.

The vortex generator may be alternatively constructed as a stationary axial enclosure and a set of internal rotating vanes. This construction sacrifices efliciency for a higher rotational speed capability.

FIG. 5 illustrates the fluid (air) action produced in a ground effect machine based on the setup of the vortex generators and the boundary surface structure of FIG. 4. The two vortex systems counterrotate and deliver fluid energy into the region situated between them and below their boundary surface. This fluid energy becomes stagnated and forms a zone of high pressure bearing against the boundary surface. The pressure is sustained to greater vehicle heights as the vortex systems deliver more power.

The inventior claims, without limitation in respect to applications:

1. In combination, a vortex generator comprising a plurality of circular bands arrayed in tandem and internal means of engaging fluid in rotation within said circular bands, said bands being adapted to form annular side ports between one another for the release of circulating fluid, means of supporting said vortex generator, the said vortex generator being immersed in fluid, the said internal means being mounted for rotation, driving means to rotate the said internal means, whereby the fluid in said vortex generator is rotated to form a vortex and yield circulating fluid around said vortex, and a boundary surface structure serving to conduct the said circulating fluid, said surface structure forming a barrier proximate to the said vortex generator and being attached to the said means of support.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein a central shaft and vanes thereon form the said internal means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein a central shaft and vanes thereon form the said internal means and the said circular bands are attached to the said vanes.

4. In combination, a vortex generator comprising an axial enclosure and internal means of engaging fluid in rotation within said enclosure, said enclosure having side outlets adapted to release fluid into circulating flow, means of supporting said vortex generator, the said vortex generator being immersed in fluid, the said internal means being mounted for rotation, driving means to rotate the said internal means, whereby the fluid in said vortex generator is rotated to form a vortex and yield circulating fluid around said vortex, and a boundary surface structure serving to conduct the said circulating fluid, said surface structure forming a barrier proximate to the said vortex generator and being attached to the said means of support.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein a central shaft and vanes thereon form the said internal means.

6. In combination, a vortex generator, said vortex generator being an axial enclosure having internal means of engaging fluid in rotation and having side outlets adapted to release fluid into circulating flow, means of supporting said vortex generator for rotation about its axis, the said vortex generator being immersed in fluid, driving means to rotate the said vortex generator, whereby the fluid in said vortex generator is rotated to form a vortex and yield circulating fluid around said vortex, and a boundary surface structure serving to conduct the said circulating fluid, said surface structure forming a barrier proximate to the said vortex generator and being attached to the said means of support.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein a central shaft and vanes thereon form the said internal means.

8. In combination, a plurality of vortex generators, each vortex generator comprising an axial enclosure and internal means of engaging fluid in rotation within said enclosure, 20

said enclosure having side outlets adapted to release fluid into circulating flow, means of supporting the said plurality of vortex generators, the said vortex generators being immersed in fluid, their said internal means being mounted for rotation, driving means to rotate the said internal means, 25

whereby the fluid in each said vortex generator is rotated to form a vortex and yield circulating fluid around said vortex, the said plurality of vortex generators being disposed to produce dual systems of fluid vorticity and circulation, one as the inverse counterpart of the other with respect to an intermediate reference plane, and a boundary surface structure serving to conduct the circulating flow of the said fluid systems, said surface structure cutting across the said reference plane, forming a barrier proximate to the said vortex generators, and being attached to the said means of support.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the axial enclosure of each said vortex generator is attached to the said internal means.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein a central shaft and vanes thereon form the internal means of each said vortex generator and the said axial enclosure is attached to the said vanes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,047,251 7/1962 Lewis 416189 3,148,736 9/1964 Skopyk 416189 3,295,608 1/1967 Arshal 416189 FOREIGN PATENTS 596,718 4/ 1960 Canada. 543,399 6/1922 France.

EVERE'ITE A. POWELL, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

